Associated with the internal combustion engine is a lambda controller. The lambda controller is designed to generate a controller control signal in the form of a correction contribution as a function of an actual value of an air-fuel ratio in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and upon a predefined setpoint value of the air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber. The internal combustion engine comprises an intake tract and an exhaust gas tract. The intake tract and the exhaust gas tract as a function of a switching position of at least one gas inlet valve and at least one gas outlet valve respectively communicate with the combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine has one injection valve per cylinder for metering a fuel mass into the combustion chamber of the corresponding cylinder. The fuel mass is metered as a function of a control signal that is determined as a function of the correction contribution.
From DE 103 07 004 B3 a method of controlling an internal combustion engine with a lambda controller is known. As a function of a temperature of the internal combustion engine an adaptation value for the required fuel mass is taken from a characteristic curve. While the lambda controller is operating, a check is made to ascertain whether predetermined adaptation conditions exist. If the predetermined adaptation conditions exist, an adaptation value is determined from the controller parameters of the lambda controller and the characteristic curve is adapted as a function of the newly determined adaptation value and the temperature of the internal combustion engine.